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| There are 7,000 skulls from Namibia in German collections |
A Berlin
hospital is returning to Namibia 20 skulls that were stolen by colonial
Germany, after a brutal repression of an uprising at the start of the 20th
century. Some say the gesture does not go far enough.
It is a
gruesome sight for those visiting the big auditorium in Berlin's Charite
hospital. There are 20 human skulls on the podium. Only two of those are on
display, the rest are packed in cardboard boxes, surrounded by flower
arrangements.
The skulls
are the remains of Namibians who died a horrific death at the hands of German
colonial forces. And although skulls are not an unusual sight in medical
lectures, they still leave you feeling uneasy.
For German
scientists these skulls have a highly symbolic meaning. "It's the first
time that we've returned a sizeable stock of skulls from a university,"
said Thomas Schnalke, head of the Charite's Medical History Museum.
"These
skulls were collected in Namibia in a highly dubious ethical context between
1904 and 1908 and then prepared and sent off to Berlin for research
purposes," he added.
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| German colonial forces brutally crushed the uprising |
They belong
to victims from the Herero and Nama tribes in the former colony of German
South-West Africa. Under pressure from Berlin, the German colonial government
brutally repressed an uprising by indigenous people.
An apology
At the
beginning of the 20th century, Berlin was a major hub for anthropological
research. The Namibian skulls were sent to the German capital for racial
analysis, according to the Charite's research.
"In
this case, scientists took advantage of the political circumstances and that
was wrong," Schnalke said.
"The
Charite hospital would like to apologize, or rather ask for forgiveness, from
the Namibian people, and we'd like to return the skulls that we have been able
to identify."
A
delegation of 73 representatives from Namibia, among them senior
representatives of the Herero and Nama victims' associations, traveled to
Berlin to receive the skulls. The handover reignited the debate about Germany's
colonial past.
Calls for
recognition of genocide
In 2004,
then Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul finally issued the apology
many in Namibia had been waiting for - an apology for the brutal repression of
the Herero uprising. Since then, the Foreign Ministry has repeatedly emphasized
its commitment to improving bilateral relations with Namibia, but for many in
Namibia, it does not go far enough.
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| Muinjangue calls for victims' groups to be involved |
The
handover of the skulls has been accompanied by debates, news conferences and a
church service. The Left Party and various NGOs have called on the German
government to recognize the murder of Herero and Nama people during the
uprising as genocide.
'We want to
be part of the process'
In addition
to that, Utjiua Muinjangue, chairwoman of the Herero Victims' Asociation, has
called for a change in attitudes.
"We
want to be part of the process. There must not be a discussion without us. The
German government has never spoken directly to those affected, to hear about
our feelings and to give us a platform so we can be heard," she said.
She also
says the money from Germany is not serving its purpose.
"Whatever
the German government is paying the Namibian government in terms of money, we
regard that as a payment between two countries. That's not the kind of compensation
we have in mind."
The dispute
is likely to continue and remain in the public eye, not least because there are
roughly 7,000 Namibian skulls still in German collections, according to the
Charite.
"We
want to set an example and set a precedent on how to deal with future demands
for returning those human remains," Schnalke said.
The Foreign
Ministry has said that the Charite would act as a consultant in this matter,
emphasizing that all parties had already worked well together on this occasion.
Author: Kay-Alexander Scholz / ng
Editor: Nancy Isenson
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